Weekend Hunting Trip
by avngstories
Summary: The newly formed Avengers are asked to help with a little 'wildlife management." Short, fun one-shot.


Tony Stark, Col. Rhodes, Steve Rogers and Dr. Bruce Banner had been called in to join Agents Barton and Romanoff on little 'hunting trip'. Romanoff was in the control room of the base in Panama, tasked with monitoring everyone and every _thing_… Her ankle was still not up to multi-day jungle hikes and she hated Costa Rica anyway.

The rest joined Barton in the armory to set up…

The rest of the team didn't know what they've been called into hunt, just that Coulson told Stark and Rhodes to keep the suits on at all times, told Rogers to leave the red, white, and blue at home- giving him a black Kevlar tactical suit with helmet and mask, and told Banner that he'd better have brought a few changes of clothes.

The team knew it must be serious, if they've all been called in, but didn't understand why Coulson had been so stingy with the details.

"So what's the big secret?" asked Stark. "Aliens again?"

"Nope," said Barton, checking his ammunition count. "Better sit down boys…"

They all sat down on various benches in the armory. Barton pulled out a pile of photos and started sorting them in his hands, figuring out which one to hand to which person. He started with Rhodes…"

"Col. Rhodes, this one's yours, be careful, they are very poisonous. Keep the face mask down at all times…" And handed him the picture. Rhodes looked at it and blinked his eyes. It looked like a chicken in a Samba costume. Stark leaned over to take a peek, hardly able to control his curiosity.

Rhodes pulled his hand away "Mine, Tony, wait for yours!..."

"Cap, you're with me, you keep that face mask on at all times, understood?" Rogers was handed a picture of _something_ with big yellow eyes.

By this time Stark was raising his hand like a kid in class "pick me, pick me" he whined. Clint chuckled.

"Ok, Stark, since you fly you get this one." And handed him a picture. Stark laughed.

"Are your joking Barton? It looks like a pterodactyl."

"It is."

Tony's jaw started flapping up and down like a nutcracker again.

By this time Banner was starting to get freaked out. _What in the hell had he been called into now?_

Barton looked at Banner and took a deep breath. "Dr. Banner, you were asked to come along just in case."

"Just in case _what_?" Bruce really didn't want to know what…

"In case _it_ shows up." He handed Banner another picture. It was of a 15' Tyrannosaurs Rex.

And because SHIELD assignments always had a _much worse_ part, Clint continued. "That picture was taken about 10 years ago. They think it's found a herd of _something_ and has grown a whole bunch since then."

"Of course it has…" was all Bruce could say. Stark couldn't take the suspense anymore and ripped the picture out of Banner's hand. His eyes popped open and he handed it back to Banner.

"Yeah, that one is definitely yours." He said.

Barton let each of them digest their pictures while he slipped his own warm weather tactical suit on over his army fatigues. Then he started the briefing. Well as much briefing as Barton ever gave.

"Every other year or so we get called into to cull anything that has developed a taste for people." He nodded to Banner "SHE usually stays down in the valley, but she might get curious of all the noise and blood so it's best to be prepared for her. Last team that was sent in learned that the hard way."

Stark asked the obvious, "um, why are there dinosaurs in Costa Rica?"

"That's classified."

"Classified?" choked out Stark indignantly. "We don't qualify to hear the story?

"Nope." Said Barton.

Rogers and Rhodes exchanged glances, Rhodes not so sure he was ready for these special SHIELD missions after all…

"So what's the mission?" asked Steve

Barton pulled up a map on the computer monitor. "Goal is the keep in them in this area marked in red, don't let them move beyond this mountain range to the East, and this one on the North. Their warm blooded, but don't seem to like the cold much, so they won't move past northern Peru."

Barton continued "most are herbivores." Nodding to Stark, who obviously would not be denied details… "But there's a few you have to worry about. So that's when they call us in." He let the group digest again. "I'll fill you in on what I know as we go. Ready then?" he asked.

Barton headed for the door, but then noticed no one had followed him.

Stark, Rhodes, Rogers, and Banner all just sat there, looking at their pictures.

"Come on guys, let's go." Barked Barton.

They all popped up and followed, Tony whispering to Rhodie "So then do you think we get to meet Bigfoot?"

Rhodie rolled his eyes and pulled down his face mask.

Stark held back to wait for Banner, "so do you really think I might get to see the Hulk fight a T-Rex, because that would be like AWESOME." Banner ignored him usual.

They could all hear Romanoff laughing like a madwoman from the control room.


End file.
